With Doug: An Eastern Orthodox — Gestalt Framework for Pastoral Psychotherapy in the Armed Forces

Abstract

In military behavioral healthcare, a short-term, solutions-focused system often privileges cognitive techniques over existential, affective, or psychodynamic approaches to care. Pastoral psychotherapy, which often privileges existential and person-centered care, has the potential to prove a pivotal complement in treating the whole person. This article offers an existential approach to pastoral psychotherapy in the military using integrated concepts and applications from Gestalt Therapy and Eastern Orthodox pastoral care.

Keywords

counseling armed forces pastoral counseling psychotherapy stress eastern orthodox pastoral care military

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